CHAPTER THREE - THE RENAISSANCE
As
Europeans began to recover from the crises of the Late Middle Ages, there was a
resumption of economic development and the continued erosion of feudal dominance.
Reflecting these economic and political developments was the exciting growth
and transformation of European culture and scholarship. This process of
cultural renewal was fueled by increased trading connections, and more
extensive interactions with the
In the early 15th
century (the early 1400's), a cultural and intellectual movement emerged in
The Renaissance was seen by
contemporary thinkers as a movement away from the "Dark Ages" of
division, war, violence and stagnation that characterized much of the Middle
Ages. It also represented a movement away from the priorities and values
of the Middle Ages; feudal/military values and the dominance of Catholic
Christianity were no longer the only priorities in the society.
The primary ideas that took
root in
INDIVIDUALISM
One of the most exciting
changes emerging during the Renaissance was attention and focus on the
potential and importance of the individual. In the Middle Ages,
the individual was not important - there was no room for individual
eccentricities or even genius. In a reciprocal-based society, what was
important was fulfilling one's role and responsibilities. Uniqueness was more
of a threat than a gift, and there was little room for, much less encouragement
of, individualism. During the Renaissance, however, the wealthy merchant elite
were very interested in themselves - in noticing and cultivating
individual distinctiveness and exploring individual potential. This was clearly
seen in the increased focus on education and a growing attention to individuals
in literature. Later in European thinking, this emphasis on the
importance of the individual led to political changes, the assertion of the
rights of the individual.
Initially this emphasis on
individual importance and worth (versus being lumped into a category or class)
was only apparent in the elite classes in
SECULARISM
Another important
characteristic of Renaissance culture emerging in
This does
not mean that Christianity was no longer important. But this secular emphasis
did result in a resurgence of interest in the immediate, material world, a
focusing on earthly pursuits and concerns. In art and scholarship, people
became interested in a broader array of topics and issues. The Classical Greek
and Roman interest in the human condition and society reasserted itself.
Religion and religious issues had to share the stage, or sometimes take a back
seat, to earthly matters such as making money, politics, and exploring the
dilemmas of human society.
REVIVAL OF
THE CLASSICAL WORLD
A very important part of
the Renaissance was the urgency with which Renaissance scholars and writers
attempted to recover, learn and even rethink the great works of the ancient or
classical period of
One of the most important
results of the Renaissance, then, was the recovery of remaining classical
knowledge, reflected in efforts to translate and copy the great works of the
Greco-Roman world. Scholars such as Petrarch made it almost a mission to seek
out such works, translate them into different European languages and
disseminate them. While Renaissance scholars approached these works with a
healthy degree of critical thought (rather than mindless acceptance or
admiration of everything classical) the fact is that it was during the
Renaissance that Greek and Roman works, thinkers, art styles and traditions in
law and politics were revived and became the firm foundation of continued
European development. Thus European civilization developed as a blend of
the established legacies of the Germanic tribes and feudalism AND
classical culture that was reasserted during the Renaissance.
HUMANISM
The final term associated
with the Renaissance was humanism. Humanism refers to an emphasis on the
importance of education, literacy and textual analysis in
Renaissance Italy; this desire led to the founding of several universities and
academic institutions. Later, the same phenomenon occurred in other
regions of
In addition, humanistic
interest meant the areas studied in educational settings broadened. During the
Central and High Middle Ages, education and scholarship was limited, almost
exclusively related to religious questions and issues. Scholarship took place
within the Church. After the 15th century, however, Renaissance
education included other disciplines stressed in secular
universities in cities like
ART
The creative impulses of
the Renaissance were manifest most colorfully and memorably in music and art. Certainly
one of the most vibrant ways the new ideas and emphases were reflected was in
the stunning artwork by
Italian painters and sculptors. Later, there was a similar flowering of
artistic achievement in the Northern regions of
Art expanded in terms of
subject matter and creativity due to secular focus, revival of
ancient/classical culture and individualism. Recognize, during the core
period of the Medieval era, the Central and High Middle Ages, art was almost
entirely based on religious themes. This was evident in the staggering
beauty of cathedrals; their Gothic architecture and stained glass cathedral windows
were to produce awe and devout feelings towards God, and the Church.
Paintings and sculptures were of Judeo-Christian subjects, intended for
veneration and worship. The emphasis was on symbolic
portrayal, not realism. In the Renaissance, Christian topics remained
important, however, the subjects that artists portrayed expanded
dramatically. Art depicted and captured the images of prominent (and
self-absorbed!) members of the merchant class, as well as topics/subject matter
from Greek and Roman history and mythology, the natural world, and human events
and activities. The naturalism of the Greeks and Romans deeply influenced
Renaissance sculpture; in areas such as depth, perspective
and scale, Renaissance artists in fact improved on classical techniques.
At some point you should
take an Art History course to fully appreciate the dramatic growth in subject
matter and advancements in methods reflected in Renaissance art; it is telling
that the art and creations of the Renaissance are today still considered some
of the most important achievements of European and even global culture. Leonardo
Da Vinci, for example, was famous in his own time and still is today the
model exemplifying the virtues of this period. His inexhaustible
curiosity and intellect, as well as artistic brilliance and fulfillment of
individual creativity and invention,
marked Da Vinci as a true "Renaissance man."
POLITICS AND
CULTURE
In other areas, the
Renaissance emphases of secularism and humanistic education were strongly
manifest. Politics became increasingly separated from religion. The most
extreme example was the very perceptive political commentary written by Niccolo
Machiavelli - The Prince.
This Renaissance text addressed politics from a purely secular and amoral
perspective; it was so removed from Middle Ages discussions of Christian based leadership
that it shocked many during his time. It displayed a complete disregard for the
importance or even relevance of religion, morality and ethics in politics. (see
example)
Machiavelli wrote simply
and directly about how to gain and hold onto power - morals, ethical behavior
and virtue were not factors, only the purely secular issue of political rule.
It is a text that seems very modern and perceptive in its observations pertaining
to political rule. It represents a far cry in political thinking from the
era of Charlemagne or feudal lords; Medieval leaders had always needed to
justify their power on the basis of their standing as good Christian leaders.
In Renaissance Europe and after, however, political leaders increasingly
focused on the acquisition of power for its own sake, separate from religious
justification.
In literature, European
voices also began to find the same kind of genius and creativity seen in the
art. Authors such as Dante
Alighieri and Edmund Spenser composed works which continued to reflect
themes from the Middle Ages (such as Dante's Divine
Comedy and Spenser's feudal-based Faerie Queen.)
However their treatment of themes such as good and evil, honor and
virtue, reflected the kinds of questions and insights raised by Renaissance
education and humanism. Perhaps the most famous example of the brilliance in
writing produced in this era was William
Shakespeare. He had a profound ability to create works of tragedy and
comedy which raised difficult questions and complex responses; in this,
Shakespeare clearly was a product of early modern Europe - strongly rooted in
the brilliant insights into the human condition of the ancient Greeks and
Romans, but also dealing with the issues of power, society, and religion
experienced in Europe over the course of the Middle Ages.
On the
heels of one of the worst centuries in European history, came a period of
remarkable growth and creativity. Between 1400 - 1600 in
However, before we leave
Europe in the Early Modern Age, we must discuss one final chapter, one more
event which moved
Interesting Related Web Sites
Center
for Renaissance and Reformation Studies
Dante
Home Page
European Middle Ages
The Labyrinth: Resources for
Medieval Studies
Medieval and Renaissance
Europe: Primary Documents
Renaissance Dante in Print
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